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Great Falls Connection ❖ August 2-8, 2017

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Great FallsGreat Falls

Behind the BadgeNews, Page 10

Companions for IndependenceRaised in Great FallsNews, Page 14

WellbeingPage 8

Wellbeing

An excavator sits behind the memorial forVanessa Péan on Saturday, June 24. TheFairfax County Park Authority reached acompromise on Thursday, July 27, to con-vert the field at the Great Falls Nike Parkfrom Bermuda grass into synthetic turf.

Soccer Field CompromiseStill Challenged

News, Page 3

Soccer Field CompromiseStill Challenged

News, Page 3

2 ❖ Great Falls Connection ❖ August 2-8, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Great Falls Connection ❖ August 2-8, 2017 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

See Legal Action, Page 13

NewsGreat Falls Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic

703-778-9414 or [email protected]

A version of Gail Péan’s letter appears on the GreatFalls Connection Opinion page.

By Fallon Forbush

The Connection

The Fairfax County Park Author-ity reached a compromise onThursday, July 27, to convert theVanessa Péan # 7 soccer field at

the Great Falls Nike Park from Bermudagrass into synthetic turf.

The deal was struck when the countyagreed to abandon installing a field thatused a crumb rubber and cork infill systemfrom the FieldTurf company called CoolPlay.In its place, the county will still purchasethe materials from the FieldTurf company,but instead of its CoolPlay system, the com-promise field will use the company’sEcoGreen system, which uses an infill sys-tem made entirely of TPE, or thermo plas-tic elastomer.

TPE is a non-toxic, heavy-metal-free infillthat is 100 percent recyclable and reusablewhen the field is replaced, according to theSynthetic Turf Council, a trade associationfor the synthetic turf industry. TPE infill usesvirgin-based material, while crumb rubberis composed of used tires.

Construction for the new 360-yard-by-210-yard synthetic turf field could begin assoon as this week so it can be completed intime for the fall soccer season by the end ofSeptember or early October, according toDavid Bowden, director of the FairfaxCounty Park Authority Planning and Devel-opment Division.

Community Blocks Crumb Rubberin Great Falls

The plans for the renovation, announcedto the public in May, were met with a steadystream of opposition as the news trickledthroughout the Great Falls community, firstfrom the Great Falls Citizens Association,then local advocates with the national SafeHealthy Playing Fields Coalition and GailPéan, the mother of the late teen whosename graces the sign and memorial on thefield.

The opposition to the renovation spoutedfrom the materials the park authority andthe Great Falls Soccer Club initially agreedto use on the field: crumb rubber.

This is the second time the citizens asso-ciation intervened on plans to convert anatural grass field into artificial turf in GreatFalls. In 2012, the GFCA prevented theGreat Falls Lacrosse Association from usingcrumb rubber when it was converting theNike Field # 4 from natural grass to syn-thetic turf, according to Glen Sjoblom, amember of the GFCA Environment, Parksand Trails Committee. The compromise forthat dispute was to use a TPE field as well.

“In 2012 the Park Authority started a pi-lot project at Great Falls Nike Park [field #4] to evaluate the performance of an alter-native rubber infill product known as TPEthroughout the 10-year lifecycle of the

field,” said a press release announcing thedeal from the park authority on July 27.“This is our opportunity to continue thatevaluation process using TPE infill on field# 7.”

However, since then, concern over thesafety of crumb rubber and synthetic turfhas grown nationwide.

Last year, the U.S. Environmental Protec-tion Agency, the Centers for Disease Con-trol and Prevention and the Consumer Prod-uct Safety Commission launched a multi-agency “Federal Research Action Plan onRecycled Tire Crumb Used on Playing Fieldsand Playgrounds” to study environmentaland human health concerns around artifi-cial turf.

The agencies have not published any find-ings on whether crumb rubber is carcino-genic yet. However, a status report was re-leased on Dec. 30, 2016, that identifiedchemicals found in tire crumb.

Chemicals of concern used in tire manu-facturing range from polyaromatic hydro-carbons (PAHs) in carbon black to zinc ox-ide (ZnO), which is used as a vulcanizingagent and could contain trace amounts oflead and cadmium oxides, according to thestatus report.

In the meantime, research continues andthe agencies are collecting and analyzingsamples of tire crumb material collectedfrom tire recycling plans and synthetic turffields around the country.

Community members aren’t waiting forthe results.

The GFCA Environment, Parks and TrailsCommittee approved a resolution on May5 opposing the Nike # 7 conversion usingcrumb rubber; Amy Stephan, a Great Fallsresident and advocate with the Safe HealthyPlaying Fields Coalition, spoke against theconversion of the field during a communitymeeting about the plans at the Great FallsGrange on May 25; Gail Péan protested theturf renovation on Saturday, June 10, at thepark during a “Family Fun Day” eventhosted by the Great Falls Soccer Club toraise funds for the conversion and has col-lected more than 300 signatures (161 onlineand the rest in person) in a “Keep Nike # 7a Safe Soccer Field” petition oniPetitions.com; and the GFCA ExecutiveBoard approved a final resolution on June29 and sent a letter by email to SupervisorJohn Foust, who represents Great Falls andthe Dranesville District on the FairfaxCounty Board of Supervisors, asking himto:

* support the construction of the soccerfield without delay by selecting an alterna-tive infill that did not include tire crumbrubber;

* continue to oppose the use of crumbrubber on playing fields in Great Falls; and

* ask the county to conduct further stud-ies into the safety and functional charac-teristics — lifecycle cost, durability, war-ranty validity and functionality — of alter-native playing field surfaces, including bothartificial and natural grass.

Community Challenges County’sUse of Crumb Rubber

In addition to banishing crumb rubberfrom being used on fields in its community,the citizens association’s final resolutionalso asked the county to immediately banthe installation of fields using crumb rub-ber throughout the county, which the countyrecently refused to do earlier this year.

In a Feb. 2 “Update on Synthetic TurfFields” memorandum to the board, CountyExecutive Edward Long, Jr., who retired inMay, stated that “currently available re-search on artificial turf has not shown anelevated health risk from playing on fieldswith crumb rubber. As such, the county willcontinue its standard practice of usingcrumb rubber as a synthetic turf infill untilnew scientific evidence or guidance aboutthe public health risk of crumb rubberemerges.”

Kirk Kincannon, the park authority’s ex-ecutive director, was appointed actingcounty executive effective Sept. 16 by theboard on July 25.

There are 48 athletic fields in FairfaxCounty that are composed of crumb rubberand synthetic turf material that are used bypublic schools and parks, according to thepark authority website. However, that num-ber has grown.

Compromise on Soccer Field Still ChallengedUse of crumb rubber challenged countywide, local soccer club to bear cost increase.

The Vanessa Péan Nike Field # 7 sits next to a grass field behind theForestville Elementary School with its length running parallel toUtterback Store Road at the corner of Leesburg Pike. A stormwatermanagement pond sits to the east of the field at the top right corner ofthis photo.

Vanessa Péan, a junior at the Potomac School in McLean, died in Octo-ber 2005 after she lost control of her car and crashed when she wasjust 16 years old. She was captain of the Great Falls Strikers team andhad played soccer since she was 5, and was also on varsity soccer at thePotomac School.

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See Faith,

Faith Notes are for announcements andevents in the faith community. Send [email protected] is Friday at noon.

Youth Activities at WesleyUnited Methodist Church. Activitiesare open to all 6th-12th graders. YouthSunday School meets every Sunday at10 a.m. in the upper room. Youth BibleStudy will meet every Sunday at 4:30p.m. off-site. Following bible study, ridetogether to the church for youth group.Email the Youth Ministry Staff for theaddress. The Anchor meets every Sun-day from 6-8 p.m. in the fellowship hall.Join us for dinner, games, worship, anddiving deeper into the Word. During thesummer, Youth Sunday School meets

most Sundays at 9 a.m. in the upperroom.

To receive the newsletter or for moreinformation [email protected].

St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church,at the intersection of Lewinsville andBrook roads in McLean, invites you fora casual Saturday Service at 5 p.m., fol-lowed by conversation and fellowship orfor Sunday Services at 8 a.m. or 10 a.m.Sunday School for Youth and Childrentakes place during the 10 a.m. Service.Check www.stthomasmcleanva.org forspecial events and services through theyear. St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church,8991 Brook Road, McLean, 703-442-0330.

Church of the Holy Comforter,543 Beulah Road, NE, Vienna, offers amonthly Healing Eucharist with the Lay-ing on of Hands and Anointing forHealing (first Sunday of the month, 5p.m. at St. Mary’s Chapel). The HealingMinistry is led by the Rev. Valerie Hayesand Alexandra MacCracken and in-cludes a team of lay healers who havegone through intentional training andformation. Contact the Rev. ValerieHayes at [email protected].

Yoga Class with a Christian Fo-cus is held Saturdays, 3-4 p.m., McGillHall or the Library at the Church of theHoly Comforter, 543 Beulah Road, NE,Vienna. This group is suitable for those

with beginner and/or intermediate yogaexperience. Dress comfortably and bringa mat. Feel free to bring a towel,block(s) or strap. Contact the ChurchOffice at 703-938-6521.

Mom’s Group meets second andfourth Thursday of the Month, 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Church of the HolyComforter, 543 Beulah Road, NE,Vienna. Join the group for coffee andfellowship. The group meets in theLillian Croy Room, near the Church Of-fice. Childcare will be available justacross the hall in the Childcare Center.If you are interested in joining thegroup, contact the Church Office at 703-938-6521 so that we can planappropriately for materials and

childcare.

St. Francis Episcopal Church,9220 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, hasSunday services at 7:45, 9 and 11 a.m.with nursery care provided. In the sum-mer, they offer musical, educational,outreach and fellowship ministries inaddition to worship services, includingan 8 a.m. worship service without mu-sic and a 10 a.m. worship service withnursery care. 703-759-2082.

The Jewish Social ServicesAgency (JSSA) offers a wide variety ofsupport groups for those with emo-tional, social, and physical challenges.

Faith Notes


Send school notes [email protected] by noon onFriday.

Adam Heilbrunn, of Great Falls, who is study-ing film and animation, made the dean’s list for the2017 spring semester at Rochester Institute ofTechnology (Rochester, N.Y).

Rosemary Moran, of Great Falls, earneddean’s list honors at Saint Joseph’s University(Philadelphia, Pa.) for the spring 2017 semester.Moran studies marketing in the University’s HaubSchool of Business.

Andrew Pashoian, of Great Falls, made the

dean’s list at University of Kentucky for the spring2017 semester. Pashoian is a junior majoring in artsadministration.

Katerina S. Banks, of Great Falls, made thedean’s list at University of Kentucky for the spring2017 semester. Banks is a junior majoring in mu-sic.

Amanda Whaley, of Great Falls, graduatedfrom Randolph-Macon Academy (Front Royal,Va.). Amanda will be attending Adelphi University(School of Nursing) this fall.

Amanda is daughter of Richard Whaley andLaura Hoernig of Great Falls and Gretchen Gray ofStafford, Va.

School Notes

See Faith, Page 9

From Page 4

Faith Notes

www.jssa.org/growth-learning.

HAVEN of Northern Virginia offers a vari-ety of free bereavement support groups, meetingon a weekly basis. 703-941-7000 orwww.havenofnova.org.

McLean Bible Church. Fitness Class at Bodyand Soul Fitness. Gain balance, energy andstrength at 10 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays andFridays. Free childcare for registered students.Email [email protected].

St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church, 1830Kirby Road, McLean, holds traditional services ev-ery Sunday at 8:15 and 10:15 a.m. Visitwww.stdunstans.net.

Vienna Christian Healing Rooms are openevery Saturday, 1-4 p.m., at 8200 Bell Lane. A teamof Christians is available to anyone requestingprayer. Free and open to the public. Call 703-698-9779 or visitwww.viennachristianhealingrooms.com.

Chesterbrook United Methodist Church is

at 1711 Kirby Road, McLean. Worship service is at11 a.m. Call 703-356-7100 or visitwww.ChesterbrookUMC.org.

Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 2589 ChainBridge Road, Vienna, is holding Sunday eveningworship service in a less formal atmosphere andmore intimate setting to help you get ready for theweek ahead. Sundays, 6 p.m. Communion offered.No childcare. Call 703-938-2119 or visitwww.elcvienna.org.

Andrew Chapel United Methodist Churchholds Centering Prayer Group Fridays, 9:30 a.m. at1301 Trap Road, Vienna. The hour begins with a20-minute prayer period, followed by a brief read-ing related to Centering Prayer. E-mail Chris Masonat [email protected] or call the church at 703-759-3509.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Wash-ington and the Jewish Outreach Instituteoffer the Mothers/Parents Circle, an umbrella offree educational events and resources. Jewish ritu-als, ethics and the creation of a Jewish home,


Opinion

Do we have election fatigue? Or arewe still reeling from lastNovember’s election? Every yearis an election year in Virginia, and

some years offer multiple opportunities.Either way, every voter in Virginia had a

chance to choose a Gubernatorial candidatefrom one party or the other in the primary elec-tion on June 13.

Now in Fairfax County, acountywide special election forSchool Board at-large will takeplace on Aug. 29, with absen-

tee in-person voting already underway. Fourcandidates are on the ballot, Chris S. Grisafe,Sandra D. Allen, Karen A. Keys-Gamarra andMichael H. Owens. To read our story about thecandidates, seewww.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2017/jul/31/low-turnout-high-stakes-special-election-school-bo/

Absentee voting for the special election isby mail or at the Fairfax County GovernmentCenter, 12000 Government Center Pkwy., Suite

DetailsTo see what’s on your ballot:

www.elections.virginia.gov/voter-outreach/whats-ballot.html

To check that you are registered to vote atyour current address: vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation

To find a registration office where you can ob-tain photo ID, even on the day of an election, visit:vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation/PublicContactLookup

To read about candidates for the Aug. 29 spe-cial election for Fairfax County School Board:www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2017/jul/31/low-turnout-high-stakes-special-election-school-bo/

So Many Chances to VoteNext up, FairfaxCounty School BoardAt-Large, Aug. 29.

323, Fairfax, through Aug. 25. Times: Monday,Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday: 8 a.m. - 4:30p.m.; Thursday, 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Then comes the General Election on Nov. 7,with every House of Delegates seat on the bal-lot along with the race for governor. Lieuten-ant governor and attorney general are also onthe ballot.

To vote in the General Election on Nov. 7,the deadline to register to vote, or update anexisting registration, is Monday, Oct 16. In-person absentee voting begins Sept. 22, withthe last day of Nov. 4.

For Fairfax County information: Voter Reg-istration: 703-222-0776, TTY 711; AbsenteeFax: 703-324-3725, Email:[email protected]

Virginia Voter IDYou will need to show one acceptable photo

identification card (photo ID) whenever youvote in person. This is Virginia law for all vot-ers.

Photo IDs can be used to vote up to one yearafter the ID has expired.

Acceptable forms of valid identification:❖ Virginia driver’s license❖ Virginia DMV-issued photo ID❖ United States passport❖ Employer-issued photo ID

❖ Student photo ID issued by a school, col-lege, or university located in Virginia

❖ Other U.S. or Virginia government-issuedphoto ID

❖ Tribal enrollment or other tribal photo ID❖ Virginia Voter Photo ID cardIf you don’t have an ID, go to a voter regis-

tration office to get a free Voter Photo ID, evenon Election Day. You will be required to com-plete a photo ID application, have your phototaken and to sign a digital signature pad.

If you get to your polling place without ac-ceptable photo ID, ask to vote a provisionalballot. You will be given instructions on whatto do so your vote can count.

— Mary Kimm

[email protected]

Editorial

Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:An open letter to the community.The Fairfax County School

Board voted last night [July 28]that the name of J.E.B Stuart HighSchool be changed no later thanthe start of the 2019 School Year.The School Board further directedstaff to start the renaming processthis fall and that as part of thatprocess — in the spirit of compro-mise and in recognition of theneed to minimize costs as well asthe desire for continuity by alumni— request that the Stuart commu-nity consider “Stuart High School”as the new name. The Board fur-ther directed staff to create amechanism for private fundingwith the expectation that privatefunding will pay for a substantialportion of the costs.

I’ve met with both sides on thisissue and it has yielded strong feel-ings and strong passions. Now thatthe Board has spoken, we will con-tinue to follow the process as out-lined by the School Board regula-tion for name changes. We willexecute the renaming process in afair, transparent, and expedientmanner.

In this spirit, I invite you to joinme on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 10a.m., at J.E.B Stuart High School,where we will hold an open pub-lic meeting — per Regulation 8170

www.boarddocs . com/vsba/f a i r f a x / B o a r d . n s f / f i l e s /A 6 Z 2 R N 6 CA 2 7 0 / % 2 4 f i l e /R8170.pdf — to gather names forconsideration along with the op-portunity for presentations, ques-tions, and discussion. We willshare further details with youahead of the meeting.

As outlined in the regulation,voting for the school name will belimited to those participants resid-ing in the school’s attendance areaand a weighted point system willbe used to determine the top threechoices. Voting will take place onSaturday, Sept. 16, at J.E.B StuartHigh School and will be open from10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

After review of the community’srecommendations, the DivisionSuperintendent will formulate arecommendation consisting of oneor more of the most popularchoices according to communityinput. The Division Superinten-dent shall then transmit the rec-ommendation to the School Boardfor consideration and action.

The deadline for the DivisionSuperintendent to submit a formalrecommendation to the SchoolBoard shall be three weeks priorto the date scheduled for SchoolBoard action.

It is clear that this issue has im-pacted our community and it is my

hope that we can work togetherto find common ground and em-brace the diversity of our friendsand neighbors to strengthen ourbond around what we all hold true— that every student succeed andthat we provide them the supportnecessary to be successful.

The most important name, I

think we can all agree, is that ofthe teacher in front of them, andwe are committed to ensuringwhatever name is chosen that wehave the best possible educationfor every student.

Scott BrabrandSuperintendent

Fairfax County Public Schools

Renaming to Proceed

Emilia and Stella: StorytellingArlene Corrado of Great Falls submitted this phototitled Emilia and Stella at story telling.

People & Pets

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Great Falls


Letter

To the Editor:I was just informed that

deconstruction and constructionof a TPE Turf field on the VanessaPéan Field Nike #7 will begin onMonday, July 31, 2017. More than300 signatures have been collectedonline and on handwritten peti-tions to keep Nike # 7 a grass fieldto protect players and the environ-ment from carcinogenic chemicalsin our water and soil and danger-ous soccer TPE turf heat levels. OnJuly 27 at 12:55 Amy Stephanmeasured and tested the field tem-perature of Nike #4 a TPE turffield at 151 degrees while the out-side temperature is only 81 in thesun and 75 in the shade.

These actions disregard the fi-duciary responsibility of FairfaxCounty taxpayers and violate theirrights to know the environmentalimpact of a TPE field built in 2012.A new one will cost them morethan $1,000,000. They are reck-less and do not represent the vot-ers who pay substantial propertytaxes to live in a healthy safe wellwater and clean air community inGreat Falls.

I plan to take legal action if I donot receive a written guaranteethat The Fairfax Park Authority

and GSA will not begin construc-tion of a TPE field on Nike # 7 July31, 2017 without an informedGreat Falls resident communityvote. GFSA did a forced and care-less vote using the GSA Soccer reg-istration software provided by theTurf company which will profitfrom the conversion to turf fromnatural grass.

According to Will Simonds, GSAPresident, 20 percent of the soc-cer player registries voted. Only 70percent of them approved of con-version so less than 100 peopleshould not and cannot representthe interest of over 8,000 residentsaffected by this financial debt andenvironmental hazards.

I ask the FCPA and Health De-partment to release to the GreatFalls community environmental airwater and soil studies done since2012 on Nike # 4 so the entirecommunity can make an informeddecision whether a TPE turf issomething they want to take finan-cial and environmental responsi-bility for. This information shouldbe given to the local papers to pub-lish for the entire community toread before a decision is made toremove the grass Vanessa Péan

Call for an ‘Informed Decision’

See Letter, Page 15


By Marilyn Campbell

August approaches and many head out for sun-drenched vacations with a skin-baring ward-robe. This much anticipated time of year

doesn’t come without danger, primarily in the formof sunburn which can lead to skin damage, skin can-cer, wrinkles and dark spots. Skincare gurus offersuggestions for protecting skin without sacrificingtime outside.

“Sunscreen is the best protection from the sun,”said Cheryl A. Oetjen, DNP, FNP-BC, assistant professor of nurs-ing at George Mason University.“This can be from lotions thatare SPF 30 or higher or fromskin-protective clothing. Wear-ing a hat can also protect yourface to some degree. Sunglassesshould also be worn.”

To maximize the effectiveness of sunscreen, Oetjenadvises being aware of some of the most commonlymade application mistakes. “Ideally sunscreen shouldbe applied 30 minutes prior to sun exposure,” shesaid. “This gives it time to soak into the skin. Avoid-ing the water for this time is also important.”

Avoid the sun between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. whenit’s most intense and use at least one ounce of sun-screen per application, says Oetjen. “The importantpart of applying sunscreen is ensuring that you are

using enough,” she said. “Fair complexions, red hairand blonde hair often are indicators of a higher riskof sunburn, so it’s important to reapply often.”

Make sunscreen part of one’s daily skincare regi-men, advises Colleen Sanders, RN, FNP, MarymountUniversity in Arlington. “The recommendation is thatyou wear sunscreen every day if you’re going to beoutside even for a short period of time,” she said. “Itshould be part of your everyday routine.”

Relying solely on the SPF found in some cosmeticslike foundation or powder is unwise, says derma-tologist Dr. Lisa Bronstein. “Makeup doesn’t neces-sarily provide the protection that it claims to pro-vide,” she said. “There are a lot of tinted sunscreensout now that match a variety of skin tones and alsogive amazing protection from sun damage.”

“Wearing sunglasses with UVA and UVB protectionas well as a hat will help prevent damage, says Sand-

ers. “Common areas thatpeople often forget to cover,and where we often findskin cancer, are the tops ofears and the backs of theirhands,” she said “These areplaces where people forgetto put sunscreen.”

“Make sure the most sensitive areas are covered… these areas include the top of the ears, lips [and]the nose, added Oetjen. “Zinc oxide can be appliedto sensitive areas.”

Infants who are younger than six months oldshould have limited exposure to the sun, says Oetjen.

“The FDA has not approved a sunscreen for infantsunder 6 months so it is best for them to stay in theshade and wear sun protective clothing and hat,” shesaid. “The skin of infants is thinner and more sensi-tive to the sun and sunscreen.”

Saving Your SkinHow to prevent sundamage while enjoyingsummer vacation.

Wellbeing

“Sunscreen is the bestprotection from the sun.”

— Cheryl A. Oetjen,George Mason University

Wearing sun-screen offersthe best protec-tion from sundamage.

Photo by

Marilyn Campbell


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Faith

regular meetings and group Shabbatsand holidays. Participants includeSha’are Shalom, Congregation BethEmeth, Temple Rodef Shalom and theJewish Community Center of NorthernVirginia. Visit ShalomDC.org.

Unitarian Universalist Congre-gation of Fairfax, 2709 Hunter MillRoad, Oakton, offers the Religious Ex-ploration program for all children, frompre-K toddlers through high school se-niors, emphasizing exploration of allreligious traditions while developing apersonal spiritual path.

The program offers classes on Satur-day afternoons and Sunday mornings.703-281-4230.

Trinity United MethodistChurch, 1205 Dolley Madison Blvd.,McLean. Sunday worship services are at8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday School foryoung adults follows the 10:30 a.m.worship services and for children at9:30 a.m. Youth Group for grades 7-12meets Sundays at 5 p.m. A 20-minuteservice of Holy Communion is held eachWednesday at noon. 703-356-3312 orumtrinity.org.

Passages DivorceCare. For thoseexperiencing the pain of separation ordivorce, the caring community at ViennaPresbyterian Church offers PassagesDivorceCare.

This 15-week program offers a pathtoward healing.

Vienna Presbyterian Church is locatedon the corner of Maple Avenue (Rt. 123)and Park Street in Vienna. Cost to covermaterials is $20, scholarships available.For more information or to register call703-938-9050, go towww.viennapres.org, or send an emailto [email protected].

The S.P.O.T for Youth,Wednesday’s at 7 p.m. A place whereyouth can come together and pray, askquestions about the faith and receivementorship.

The spot is a ministry of First BaptistChurch of Vienna, 450 Orchard Street,NW Vienna.

First Baptist Church of Viennalocated at 450 Orchard St., NW, Vienna.Sunday services are held at 7:45 and 10a.m. weekly.

Wednesday Night with the Familyservice is held at 6 p.m. followed bycorporate singing at 7 p.m. Bible stud-ies take place Tuesday’s at noon.

For those struggling physically orspiritually, on the first Sunday of eachmonth, Christ the King LutheranChurch offers a rite of healing as partof worship; the opportunity to beanointed with oil and prayed over. Dur-ing the healing rite, the pastor oranother person says a short prayer whiletwo people lay hands on the recipient.Then the pastor or helper anoints themwith oil as a sign of God’s healing andforgiveness.

Christ the King Lutheran Church,10550 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls.Call 703-759-6068 or visitwww.gflutheran.org.

Wesley United MethodistChurch located at 711 Spring St., SE,Vienna, Virginia 22180, at the corner ofSpring Street and Moore Avenue. 10:30a.m. fellowship time in the fellowshiphall; 11 a.m. traditional family worshipin sanctuary.

If you are seeking a church homewhich encourages: caring and support-ive fellowship, an active and devotedprayer life and study of scripture, sup-port for local and world missions, anopen, responsive awareness to the pres-ence and power of God’s Holy Spirit.


News

See Fairfax Police, Page 11

By Andrea Worker

The Connection

Think you know what you woulddo if you were dispatched tohandle a domestic dispute? Orif you were handling a “routine”

traffic violation and the driver, sitting be-hind darkly-tinted windows wouldn’t obeyyour instructions? Or you were called to thescene of a horrific accident where lives havebeen lost? With the exception of those whoofficially work these situations, members ofthe press probably get a closer look at theseevents than the average citizen, but a groupof area media personnel were put to thetest by several Fairfax County’s police offic-ers who gave them a glimpse of life behindthe badge at the inaugural Fairfax CountyPolice Department (FCPD) Media PoliceAcademy.

“It’s our first-ever academy for the me-dia,” said Julie Parker, FCPD Media Rela-tions director, who came to her positionfrom a background in journalism. The de-partment currently runs a Citizens’ Acad-emy and a Teen version, but as Parker said,it’s the media that “cover us … we felt thatthere isn’t enough education … for report-ers covering very serious topics.” Parker alsosaid that the FCPD was looking for feed-back from the media.

THE BRAINCHILD of 2nd Lt. Dan Pang,who served as co-host, instructor, mentorand supervisor of the media rookies, theJuly 20 all-day session was held at theFairfax County Criminal Justice Academyin Chantilly — the same facility where po-lice recruits start their training in hopes ofpassing muster and eventually hitting thestreets to “serve and protect.”

Making it into those ranks in FairfaxCounty requires eight hours of psychologi-cal testing, extensive background checks,and six months of Academy training com-prising lectures, practicals and skills train-ing in defense, driving and firearms train-ing. “You have to get each skill right, re-spond appropriately in each scenario,” saidPang. There’s coaching and counselling tocorrect mistakes, but the newbies are sub-

ject to a “three strikes and you’re out” rule.If the recruits make it that far, they move

on to 90 days in the real world, with a fieldofficer partner. Pass that test, and the re-cruit is now a rookie and it’s time to do thejob solo, or as a partner.

Pang took his “students” into the emo-tional life of a police officer. “It’s a rollercoaster,” he said. “You try to turn it off andon, but it’s not always so easy to do. We arein a constant state of elevated alertness.Failure to do so could kill us.”

Pang used the terms “hypervigilance” and“stimulus habituation” and referenced thebook “Emotional Survival for Law Enforce-ment, A Guide for Officers and their Fami-lies,” by Kevin Gilmartin, Ph.D. to describewhat life is like for himself and his fellowofficers.

According to Gilmartin and other re-search, when law enforcement personnelget home, they may actually experience a“chemical dump” of the adrenaline andother chemicals that have kept them in thisstate. It can be such an overpowering reliefto the brain and body that the officer al-most literally shuts down. Pang and severalof his colleagues who participated in thesession spoke about times when they have

come home and “just hit the couch and wentout like a light.”

There are other effects on a police officer’spersonal life that have been noted. “Copstend to like toys,” said Pang. Things likeboats, ATVs and electronic gadgets “cancompensate for the high when you’re noton duty. Cops can become impulse buyers.”He acknowledged that it’s a trait that is notalways conducive to a harmonious familylife.

There are also societal effects resultingfrom a police officer’s daily lifestyle. Alien-ation from friends and family can occur assome law enforcement personnel feel onlytheir fellow officers can really relate tothem. Amp that feeling up over time andthat alienation can cause some officers tosee everyone around them as untrustwor-thy.

With all that they see and that they do,and with the personal toll that their workcan take on them, it’s probably no wonderthat 85 percent of law enforcement person-nel have experienced some kind of nega-tive mental health symptoms. Almost 84percent have been witness to, or involvedin a traumatic event. More than 20 percenthave suffered from some level of Post Trau-matic Stress Syndrome and 27 percent have

admitted to depression. The suicide rate forthose working in law enforcement is threetimes the rate of the general population.

A veteran officer agreed to share a per-sonal story with the attendees, having beeninvolved in more than one fatal shootingencounter during [his/her] career. The con-dition for opening up in this way was a re-quest for anonymity. No recording. No note-taking. “As you can perhaps understand,”said the officer, “these were difficult situa-tions and experiences – for me, my familyand for the families of the victims.” The of-ficer did not wish to bring new attention tothese events and cause additional pain orconcern for anyone involved.

Both events were ultimately declared asjustified uses of force, and, in fact, in onecase the officer’s actions saved further lossof life or injury to other officers and mem-bers of the public. But the scrutiny, the in-vestigations, the sudden removal from thejob and the familiar surroundings and sup-port from fellow officers, as well as the fearof retaliation against the officer or familymembers, made for “the most difficult timeof my life” — and through it all you have todeal with the gravity of your own actions.

Behind the Badge Police offer members of the media insight on a“Day in The Life” of local law enforcement providers.

Kathy Stewart from News Radio WTOP gets some pointers from 2nd Lt.Dan Pang in how to conduct a traffic stop.

Despite his best efforts, NBC4’s David Culver eventually had to pull his“weapon” to bring the angry bar patron under control with the aid ofhis partner Officer Reem Awad in the de-escalation exercise.

Fairfax County Police Chief EdRoessler takes a working lunchwith the Media Police Academyclass and answers questions aboutnew policies and police training,use of force, release of informa-tion, and more.

“Sir, put downthe hammer!”NBC4 newsanchor andreporter DavidCulver tries tocalm an angryman in the de-escalationexercise.

Photos by

Andrea Worker/

The Connection


From Page 10

News

TO ILLUSTRATE HOW QUICKLY a situ-ation can turn deadly — regardless of train-ing or preparedness — the class reviewedsome bodycam videos that also highlightedthe “power of perspective.” Watching real-life scenes of traffic stops and one of aneviction from different angles and sources,and in one case, with and without sound,gave everyone pause for thought. Viewedfrom just one perspective, or in silence,judgments were quickly made as to who wasresponsible for the violent outcomes. Asmore sources were layered in, or sound in-troduced, that certainty quickly faded, orpositions even reversed.

“I think you get the point,” said Pang.Kathy Stewart, an attendee from WTOP,

agreed, saying the video exercise just em-phasized the importance of “getting thewhole story” and of the power that lies inthe hands of those reporting.

Next on the agenda was strapping on 30-plus pounds of gear (holster, “gun,” hand-cuffs, etc.) to perform some “traffic stops”in the back parking lot, after some tips onwhere to stop a vehicle, how to approachit, what to look for, how to address thedriver and other occupants, and how to stayas safe as possible.

PFC Mark Pollard of the Motor Squad,who helped run the exercise, was an ap-proachable and thorough instructor, buthadn’t much sympathy for complaints aboutheat. “We’re out here, no matter what. Sun,snow, rain. That’s our job.”

“Driver” Fred Sanborn of Springfield hasattended the Citizens Police Academy andseemed to relish his role as one of the diffi-cult citizens being stopped. Waving-off the“officers” who approached, Sanborn justkept on with his cell phone conversation andthen argued every step of the way.

Pollard was pretty matter-of-fact whensome of his media students looked back inhesitation at Sanborn’s failure to cooper-ate. “Deal with it if they don’t listen to you,”was his response. “Stay polite,” he added,“and use your ‘command control’ voice.”

The debrief from this exercise showedthat in their anxiety to do things right andnot miss a step, everyone overlooked some-thing potentially deadly — like a knife onthe dashboard, or a small handgun hiddenalongside a driver.

OTHER HANDS-ON EXERCISES had thefaux-recruits responding to a call of a do-mestic dispute, or being dispatched to calman increasingly violent individual. “Theseare very much every-day occurrences,” saidPang, “and the often the most dangerous.”

Even in these controlled circumstances,with cameras recording and at least a fewof their peers silently watching, many of theparticipants admitted that the situations stillhad a physical effect.

David Culver, an anchor and reporter withWashington’s NBC News 4, was one of themedia students who successfully diffusedan escalating situation without injury orworse, but when he felt forced to draw his

“weapon” to control the “suspect” he saidthat during the “encounter” he still felt hisheart racing.

In between stepping in and out of the roleof law enforcers, there were portions of theprogram designed specifically for those inattendance. Police Chief Ed Roessler joinedthe group for a working lunch and answeredquestions about increasing efforts to infusethe department with transparency, the re-cent formation of the Citizen’s Police Re-view Board, the effect of social media onpolicing, and other issues.

Transparency and an additional outlet forcitizens to turn to are the right way forward,according to Roessler, who acknowledgedthat the changes are difficult for many.“There is a certain level of fear and anxietyamong the troops,” he said. So many re-cent deadly incidents that have occurred inpolice departments around the country arenot only tragic for the victims, but they addanother level of stress and difficulty for theofficers who are just trying to do the rightthing and protect, even to the extent of

putting their own lives on the line.Despite the obstacles, Roessler remains

committed to supporting changes in train-ing, departmental policies and furtheringcommunity engagement. The chief pointedto the department’s strong relationship withthe All Dulles Area Muslim Society(ADAMS) Center that straddles the linebetween Fairfax and Loudoun counties.

“That’s a relationship that both partieshave been building since the ’90s” and hasserved the community well many timessince then, most recently during the inves-tigation into the murder of 17-year-oldNabra Hassanen of Reston, who was a mem-ber of the mosque. While many were im-mediately categorizing Hassanen’s death asa hate crime, even in the midst of theirshock and grief, ADAMS Center released astatement thanking FCPD and the LoudounCounty Sheriff’s department for their “dili-gent efforts in investigating and apprehend-ing a suspect.”

Major Christian Quinn, Commander Di-vision III, Patrol Bureau and Assistant

Commonwealth’s Attorney Casey Lingan,joined Parker in a further Q&A session. Thetiming and the amount of information be-ing released to reporters was the predomi-nant issue.

Human nature may make some hesitantto speak to media outlets. “No one likes tobe humiliated. There is definitely a grow-ing sense that people are looking for that‘gotcha’ moment,” said Quinn.

Parker said that the Media Relations Bu-reau was dedicated to making accurate in-formation available as quickly as possible.All three gave examples where informationhad to be held for legal reasons, or shouldbe held to protect the investigation or therights of those involved.

ABC7 newsman Sam Sweeney questionedcircumstances where reporters are “pushedback from a scene” while neighbourhoodresidents were allowed to move more freelyaround the area. The trainers answered thatthere could be legitimate reasons for hold-ing back reporters and others — particu-larly in scenes where the presence of morepeople might make it even more difficultfor the police to keep an eye on all activi-ties — but Parker reminded that the policeinformation officer on scene is available.“And if you think you are having a prob-lem, you can always call our office. We willdo our best to get you information and ac-cess.”

Media Police Academy ended with a“Shoot-Don’t Shoot” simulation. In the con-trolled exercise, Peggy Fox with WUSA9 andJohn Aaron with WTOP “saved the day”even though in the stress of the situation,they failed to notice innocent bystanderswalking in the background. “It’s a real eye-opening experience,” said Aaron.

The Police Department plans to make theMedia Police Academy an annual event tokeep the dialogue open between law en-forcement and the people who bring theirstories to the public.

Citizens interested in getting a more in-depth look at policing in the community mayconsider applying for the Citizens PoliceAcademy at [email protected] department also has a Facebook pagewith information about current police ac-tions and tips for safety.

Fairfax Police Host Media Academy

2nd Lt. Dan Pang of the FairfaxCounty Police Departmentserved as the Media PoliceAcademy co-host and primarytrainer.

The role-playing volunteers seemed to enjoy putting the media recruitsthrough their paces. Driver Fred Sanborn of Springfield, a Citizen’sPolice Academy graduate, said that he and his cohorts – front seat pas-senger Gabe Goldberg of Falls Church, and backseat potential baddie EdPouncey of Sully – were actually “taking it pretty easy on these guys.We’d be tougher on the real recruits.”

Brian Trompeter from the Sun-Gazette Newspapers steps out of thepatrol car, ready for action. “It’s a little unnerving,” he said. Most of themedia “cops” found it difficult to approach the vehicles without theirhands on their “guns.”

Photos by Andrea Worker/The Connection


News

From Page 3

Legal Action Threatened Over Soccer Field ConversionGail Péan protested the

turf renovation onSaturday, June 10, at

the park during a“Family Fun Day” event

hosted by the GreatFalls Soccer Club toraise funds for the

conversion and hascollected more than

300 signatures — 161online and the rest inperson — in a “Keep

Nike # 7 a Safe SoccerField” petition on

iPetitions.com. She isnow threatening legal

action if the countyproceeds with the

conversion of the fieldfrom Bermuda grass to

turf with a TPE infillsystem.

“Just in Fairfax County alone, we haveover 80 between us and schools, over 80turf fields,” Bowden said.

Though Kincannon has not responded tothe GFCA resolution’s request, the county’sfields are among the pool of fields that thefederal, multi-agency study is testing, ac-cording to Bowden.

“The ones that have been done, and wehaven’t conducted one ourselves, but theones that have been done nationally, again,have come out and said that there’s no rea-son not to use synthetic turf,” Bowden said.“And, of course, that’s with the crumb rub-ber. And in this case [Nike # 7], we don’tplan on using that.”

While Great Falls takes on the county,other jurisdictions are shying away fromusing artificial turf until the federal multi-agency investigation publishes its final de-termination on whether artificial turf fieldsare safe or not.

Across the Potomac River in Maryland,the Montgomery County Council approveda resolution in 2015 banning crumb rubberfields by requiring all new artificial turfplaying fields use only plant-derived infillmaterials in projects where county funds orcontracts for the installation are used.

Not All Pleased With CompromiseWhile the county’s top official defended

crumb rubber, Foust took action to help hisconcerned constituents by urging the countyto find alternative materials for the field andto prevent any costs the new materialswould incur from increasing the soccerclub’s financial obligations to the project.

Foust sent an email on June 30 with theinstructions to Board of Supervisors Chair-man Sharon Bulova; GFCA President BillCanis and the association’s executive board;Park Authority Board Chairman WilliamBouie and Dranesville Member TimothyHackman; Kirk Kincannon, who led the parkauthority at the time, and David Bowden,the director of its Planning and Develop-ment Division; and Will Simonds, the soc-cer club’s commissioner, and FredRothmeijer, the soccer club’s vice presidentof fields.

“I understand your concerns with crumbrubber, especially given the heavy relianceon well water in Great Falls,” Foust’s emailsaid. “I agree with your recommendationthat the park authority move forward ex-peditiously to select an artificial or naturalgrass alternative for Nike 7 that does notinclude crumb rubber. By copy of this email,I am requesting that the park authority notuse crumb rubber at Nike 7. Instead, I re-quest that the park authority, in consulta-tion with Great Falls Soccer Association,select an appropriate artificial or grass al-ternative as soon as possible to avoid anyfurther delay. I am also asking that the parkauthority attempt to mitigate any impacton GFSA if the alternative selected is morecostly than the crumb rubber alternativewould have been.”

The new materials increased the cost ofthe project by $30,000, which the soccerclub agreed to take on, since the TPE mate-

rial is what it had been pushing the countyto use for its new field from the beginning.

“We actually don’t want the crumb rub-ber,” said Simonds, commissioner of theGFSC. “We had said that right at the begin-ning to the county, but there’s a cost associ-ated with [TPE] that’s a bit more than thecrumb rubber.”

Mom on a MissionThough the parties who are funding the

project agreed with the compromise, GailPéan and anti-turf advocates are still de-manding the field only use natural grasssystems.

Péan was invited to meet at the Great FallsLibrary on Tuesday, July 18, to talk withDavid Bowden from the park authority, JaneEdmondson, Foust’s chief of staff, andSimonds from the GFSC, where Bowdenexplained the compromise that had beenreached between the county, GFCA and thesoccer club.

Bowden began the meeting by apologiz-ing to Péan for not reaching out to her andincluding her in the project sooner.

“We’re not touching the memorial to yourdaughter and we have no plans not to keepthe field named after your daughter,”Bowden said.

“OK, thank you,” Péan replied.When Péan was told that the field would

use a TPE infill system, she asked that theTPE field that already existed at the parkbe studied to ensure the synthetic materi-als didn’t have any adverse impact on theenvironment and nearby neighbors’ wellwater quality.

Bowden responded by reiterating thecounty’s stance on turf fields and that theyare safe and by assuring Péan of the park’sstormwater management system.

He told Péan that the water coming offthe field would first drain through the fielditself, then travel through an overland re-lief drainage system and then empty into astormwater management pond adjacent tothe field.

“It’s basically treated three times beforeit leaves the site,” he said.

“It is a huge concern of citizens in GreatFalls, that anything that’s artificial is goingto have with the sun baking on this, thereare going to be chemicals that are releasedinto the water, and what are these chemi-cals?” Péan said. “And it may not show upthe first year, but it will soon show up and Ithink they should test the water that’s near-est to Nike.”

Bowden told Péan that the virgin plasticmaterial would pose no threat and that thecounty’s well water is tested each year.

“We can provide the chemical makeup ofthe TPE, which is really pretty much ster-ile,” Bowden said. “It’s designed to a stan-dard of stormwater that’s way above thenormal county stormwater managementrequirements,” he added.

Edmondson also told Péan that her re-quest would not be considered because itisn’t required for the project.

“I think what you’re asking for as one citi-zen is something that, right now, is not re-quired of the county when they put in a turffield, regardless of whether it’s grass,”Edmondson said. She also told Péan thatthe compromise accomplished its goal ofavoiding the use of crumb rubber.

“I think they have practiced due dili-gence,” she said. “I think that the park au-thority and Great Falls Soccer have in goodfaith responded to the GFCA resolution andto suggest perhaps that there be a test andthat somehow the results of that test mightstop this project, I don’t think is appropri-ate.”

Péan refused to accept their answer andisn’t giving up on pushing the county toconduct an environmental study on TPE.

In an email to Foust and Bowden onThursday, July 27, Péan threatened legalaction if the county did not conduct a ref-erendum and turn the decision over to theresidents of Great Falls, stating the use ofTPE disregarded the county’s fiduciary re-sponsibility to taxpayers.

“I plan to take legal action if I do not re-ceive a written guarantee that you will notbegin construction of a TPE field on Nike #7 July 31, 2017, without an informed Great

Falls resident community vote,” her emailsaid.

She also demanded the park authorityrelease any environmental studies con-ducted on the TPE field # 4 that exist.

“Please release to the Great Falls commu-nity environmental air water and soil stud-ies done since 2012 on Nike No. 4 so theentire community can make an informeddecision whether a TPE turf is somethingthey want to take financial and environmen-tal responsibility for,” the email added.

The Connection asked the park authorityfor the data of any tests that were performedon the TPE field # 4. Judith Pedersen, apark authority spokesperson, said she wasnot aware of any studies but would checkto verify. She said she did not think shecould get a final answer in time for thedeadline of this paper, but is working onthe request.

Péan and anti-turf advocates also worryabout the heat-related safety risks involvedwith people playing on synthetic turf, whichthey claim become “superheated to tem-peratures from 120 to 180 degrees Fahren-heit” on warm days.

Péan’s email provided data collected fromthe Nike TPE field # 4 on July 27 by AmyStephan, a Great Falls resident and advo-cate with the Safe Healthy Playing FieldsCoalition.

“Today at 12:55 [p.m.], Amy Stephanmeasured and tested the field temperatureof Nike # 4, a TPE turf field, at 151 degrees[Fahrenheit] while the outside temperatureis only 81 [degrees Fahrenheit] in the sunand 75 [degrees Fahrenheit] in the shade,”her email said.

Péan’s email also said the Great Falls Soc-cer Club vote on whether to convert the #7 field only received participation from 20percent of the club’s 600-family member-ship with approximately 1,200 children, andonly 70 percent of the 20 percent voted infavor of the conversion.

Simonds confirmed these numbers dur-ing the meeting at the library.

“That’s a typical sort of number when youdo a survey,” he said during the meeting.

“So less than 100 people should not andcannot represent the interest of over 8,000residents affected by this financial debt andenvironmental hazards,” Péan’s email said.

While Simonds sympathizes with Péan,he stands by the turf field and says his play-ers’ safety is at stake.

“She pulled my heart strings, and I get it,but from a club perspective and from a sur-vey that we took from our memberships,they really want a synthetic grass field,” hesaid. “We’ve only got that one field and it’snot doing her daughter any service,” headded. “It’s in terrible shape and kids aregoing to roll their ankles. It’s become actu-ally dangerous to play on because it’s insuch bad shape.”

“We would love to keep it named after[Vanessa] if [Gail] wants to,” Simondsadded. “We definitely need to turf the fieldand if she doesn’t want her daughter’s nameassociated with that, that’s too bad, we’dlove to keep it, but if that’s the case, I’d un-derstand that too.”

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ail Péan


Entertainment

Submit entertainment announcementsat www.connectionnewspapers.com/Cal-endar/. The deadline is noon on Friday.Photos/artwork encouraged.

ONGOINGGreat Falls Farmers Market.

Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., 778 WalkerRoad, Great Falls. Music, vendors,fresh produce, fresh prepared food,delightful bakery, spices from aroundthe world, wild-caught fish, grass-fed, free-range meats, organic-fedpoultry and eggs. [email protected] more.

The Light of Day Paintings. ThroughJuly 15, various times BroadwayGallery, 1025-J Seneca Road, GreatFalls. Featuring landscape paintingsby Michael Godfrey, ChristineLashley, Tricia Ratliff, and RajendraKC. Call 703-450-8005 for more.

Julie Cochran Photography. Varioustimes through July 29 at the ViennaArts Gallery, 513 Maple Ave. W.Exhibit called “Lotus-Palooza.” Call703-319-3971 or visitwww.ViennaArtsSociety.org formore.

Sunny Days Art. Artists exhibitionthrough July 29 at the Vienna ArtsCenter, 115 Pleasant St., NW. SunnyDays exhibition. Call 703-319-3971or visit www.ViennaArtsSociety.orgfor more.

“Summer in the City” Art Show.Normal business hours through Aug.15 at Brightview, 10200 Colvin RunRoad, Great Falls. Members of GreatFalls Studios will exhibit their workin a show. Call 703-759-2513 formore.

Stories and Sprinklers. Wednesdaysthrough Aug. 2, 1:30 p.m. at 144Maple Ave. E., Vienna (behind theFreeman Store). Hear a story. Visitwww.viennava.gov or call 703-255-6360.

Free Tai Chi. Every Saturday, from7:55-9 a.m., Introduction andBeginners’ Practice, meet on theoutdoor basketball court locateddirectly behind the Dolley MadisonPublic Library, 1244 Oak Ridge Ave.in McLean Central Park, McLean. Call703-759-9141 or visitwww.FreeTaiChi.org for more.

First Sunday Jazz Brunch 11-2 p.m.Recurring monthly on the 1st Sundayat Bazin’s on Church 111 Church StN.W., Vienna. Enjoy brunchaccompanied by the soft jazz soundsof Virginia Music Adventure. Visitwww.fxva.com/listing/bazins-on-church/1686/

The Freeman Store & MuseumWednesday through Sunday noon-4p.m. 131 Church St. NE, Vienna. TheFreeman Store & Museum isdedicated to Preserving andpromoting Vienna’s heritage throughthe identification, preservation, andinterpretation of history significantplaces, events, and persons.Historicviennainc.org

Bingo Night. Sundays. 4 p.m. FlameRoom, Vienna Volunteer FireDepartment, 400 Center St. S,Vienna. $10. www.vvfd.org/bingo.html.

Gentle Yoga. Thursdays, 6:30 p.m.Emmaus United Church of Christ,900 E Maple Ave. E., Vienna.Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. UnitarianUniversalist Congregation of Fairfax,2709 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton.Gentle Kundalini Yoga, one freeintroductory session, seniordiscounts. Increase flexibility,improve breathing and health, reducestress. Ravi Kaur has 15 yearsexperience teaching yoga. $15 persession. www.edimprovement.org.571-213-3192.

Fishing Rod Rentals 8700 PotomacHills St., Great Falls. Rentalsavailable during visitor center hours.Fishing tackle and live bait areavailable for purchase. Reservationsrequired for group rentals. $6/rental

(2 hour max). Valid driver’s licenserequired. Rod/reel combinations areperfect for beginners and children. AVirginia or Maryland freshwaterfishing license is required for those16 years or older. The park does notsell fishing licenses.www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/riverbend-park/

Colvin Run Mill open 11 - 4 p.m.daily, closed Tuesday. 10017 ColvinRun Road, Great Falls. FairfaxCounty’s operational 19th centurywater powered gristmill, offersrecreational and educationalactivities for all ages through dailytours, school programs and specialevents. Fees: $7/adult, $6 students16+ with ID, $5 children & seniors.Admission to park is free except forsome special events.

AUGUSTFairfax Family Golf Month. At Oak

Marr Golf Complex is located at 3136Jermantown Road, Oakton. InAugust, parents pay for their 9-holeround of golf and accompanyingchildren and teens (ages 8-17) willreceive a round at no charge. This isalso good at Jefferson District GolfCourse is located at 7900 Lee

Highway, Falls Church, and PinecrestGolf Course, 6600 Little RiverTurnpike, Alexandria. Visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/golffor more.

WEDNESDAY/AUG. 2Skyward Story Concert. 6 p.m. at

Jammin Java, 27 Maple Ave. E.,Vienna. Baltimore-based pop rocktrio. Visit jamminjava.com/ or call877-987-6487.

Understanding PoliticalPolarization. 7-9 p.m. at GreatFalls Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike,Great Falls. A “Meetup,” wherepeople from diverse backgrounds willtry to better understand their ownand others’ values and beliefs acrossthe usual political boundaries. Free.Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/gf/ or [email protected].

FRIDAY-SATURDAY/AUG. 4-5“Hair.” 7:30 p.m. at Vienna Baptist

Church, 541 Marshall Road SW.Vienna Youth Players (VYP) isputting its own spin on what youthfulfrustration with society looks andsounds like in its production of the

1968 Broadway musical “Hair,”which features classics like“Aquarius” and “Let the Sunshine In.”$14. Visit viennava.gov/webtrac formore.

SUNDAY/AUG. 6Colonial Mill Demonstration.

Noon-3 p.m. at Colvin Run Mill,10017 Colvin Run Road, Great Falls.Demonstration on how grains weremilled in years past. $7 for adults, $6for students 16 and up with ID, and$5 for children and seniors. Call 703-759-2771 or visitwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks.

Big Bang Boom Concert. 5 p.m. atMcLean Central Park, 1468 DolleyMadison Blvd. Children-friendlymusic. Part of The Alden at theMcLean Community Center’s 2017Summer Sunday Concerts in thePark. Call the Center at 703-790-0123 or visit www.aldentheatre.org.

Concerts on the Green. 6-8 p.m. atGreat Falls Village Centre Green.Diamond Alley are playingcontemporary and classics. Visitwww.celebrategreatfalls.org formore.

WEDNESDAY/AUG. 9Understanding Political

Polarization. 7-9 p.m. at GreatFalls Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike,Great Falls. A “Meetup,” wherepeople from diverse backgrounds willtry to better understand their ownand others’ values and beliefs acrossthe usual political boundaries. Free.Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/gf/ or [email protected].

FRIDAY/AUG. 11Pair of Plays. 5 p.m. at The Madeira

School, 8328 Georgetown Pike, 8328Georgetown Pike, McLean. TravelingPlayers perform Shakespeare’s“Comedy of Errors” at 5 p.m., and“Atum’s Eye: the Dawn of Time,” byJudy White at 7 p.m. Guests areinvited to bring a picnic dinner. $10.Visit www.madeira.org for more.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY/AUG. 11-12“Hair.” 7:30 p.m. at Vienna Baptist

Church, 541 Marshall Road SW.Vienna Youth Players (VYP) isputting its own spin on what youthfulfrustration with society looks andsounds like in its production of the1968 Broadway musical “Hair,”which features classics like“Aquarius” and “Let the Sunshine In.”$14. Visit viennava.gov/webtrac formore.

SATURDAY/AUG. 12Dan Navarro Concert. 7:30 p.m. at

Jammin Java, 227 Maple Ave. E.,Vienna. $20-25. Call 877-987-6487or visit www.jamminjava.com formore.

SUNDAY/AUG. 13Concerts on the Green. 6-8 p.m. at

Great Falls Village Centre Green.Tom Principato in concert. Visitwww.celebrategreatfalls.org formore.

Aztec Two-Step Concert. 6 p.m. atJammin Java, 27 Maple Ave. E.,Vienna. Folk-rock duo celebrates therelease of their new album “Naked.”$25 Visit jamminjava.com/ or call877-987-6487.

TUESDAY/AUG. 15“Dining with Dorothy.” 12:30 p.m.

at the Westwood Country Club, 800Maple Ave. E., Vienna. Dining withDorothy events are Shepherd’s Centerof Oakton-Vienna events heldperiodically throughout the year asopportunities for mature adults tomeet and socialize with new peoplealong with old friends. Call 703-281-0538 for more.

Surviving Your Split Lecture. 7:30-9 p.m. at the Patrick Henry Library,101 Maple Ave, E, Vienna. MarthaBodyfelt how to reduce breaking-upstress, avoid the most commonmistakes, and gain clarity on what toexpect. Call 703-938-0405 for more.

WEDNESDAY/AUG. 16Understanding Political

Polarization. 7-9 p.m. at GreatFalls Library, 9830 Georgetown Pike,Great Falls. A “Meetup,” wherepeople from diverse backgrounds willtry to better understand their ownand others’ values and beliefs acrossthe usual political boundaries. Free.Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/gf/ or [email protected].

SATURDAY/AUG. 18Chillin’ on Church. 6:30 p.m. at

Church St., Vienna. Water games,Mudlark band playing rock andblues. Visit www.viennava.gov or call703-255-6360.

SummerSundaySummer SundayConcerts in the Parkfeaturing Big BangBoom, Sunday, Aug. 6,at 5 p.m. in McLeanCentral Park, 1468Dolley Madison Blvd.Free. Call the Centerat 703-790-0123 orvisit aldentheatre.org.

‘Hair’Hear classics like “Aquarius” and “Let the Sunshine In” at the Vienna Youth Playersproduction of “Hair,” Aug. 4-5 and again Aug. 11-12, 7:30 p.m. at Vienna Baptist Church,541 Marshall Road SW. $14. Visit viennava.gov/webtrac for more.


ClassifiedTo Advertise in This Paper, Call by Monday 11:00 am 703-778-9411

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We pay top $ for STERLING, MEN’S WATCHES,

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Midnight in his service vest.

Solar III turning on lights.JJ IV, the family’s ninthpuppy, in his training vest.

Left to right, top to bottom: Hamlet II, Solar III, Mid-night, Welling II, Romer III, Agent, Bishop IV and Ekina.

Raising Companions forIndependence in Great Falls

The Cheshire family ofGreat Falls has been vol-unteer puppy raisers for

Canine Companions for Indepen-dence (CCI) for more than eightyears. These dogs, when they fin-

ish training are given to peoplewith disabilities for free. BenCheshire has submitted some pho-tos of animals the family raised(eight so far). For further informa-tion, go to CCI’s web site at cci.org.


Kenny Lourie is an Advertising Representative forThe Potomac Almanac & The Connection Newspapers.

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

And speaking, a few weeks late, of my“whirled,” (see July 5, 2017 column, “Not anAuto-Matic Fix); at least as it relates to mynext week or so: 24-hour urine collection onTuesday, pre-chemotherapy lab work onWednesday, in the Connection office onThursday, chemotherapy infusion on Friday,continuing anxiety concerning the previousWednesday’s CT Scan/awaiting results frommy oncologist followed by our usual post-scanappointment with him Friday a week later todiscuss my future: status quo or the greatunknown; coinciding with the typical eatingchallenges/post-chemo side effect which lastsa week to 10 days after treatment. If this cycleof gloom doesn’t sound like fun, you’re right,but it’s a living/my life and I’m extraordinarily(I didn’t want to say “damn”) lucky to be ableto live it.

And recently having spoken to a new stageIV, non-small cell lung cancer “diagnosee,”who’s on a 24-hour morphine drip andPercocet every four hours because he’s inconstant pain, I know how amazingly fortu-nate I am/have been since being originallydiagnosed in late February, 2009. Sure, I’vehad my share of pain and discomfort, but inthe medical-measuring system I’d give it a “1.”Hardly the stuff with which nightmares aremade (see column in a few weeks, as yetuntitled).

I’ve always been a great believer in con-text. Not so much comparison because whatyou see and what you get are not necessarilyrelevant, comparatively speaking, but morethat the circumstances are all relative. It takesme back to Popeye the Sailor Man, whoapologizing to no one, always said: “I ‘yamwhat I ‘yam.” And so am I. When I see othercancer patients at the Infusion Center, when Italk to cancer survivors, when I hear or read ofother cancer patient circumstances, I try tolive and learn, not take it personally, andcount my blessings. Given the hand that I wasdealt back on Feb. 27, 2009 I wouldn’t say“Wild” Bill Hickok (and his black aces andblack eights) came to mind, but my life,according to the “11 month to two-year”prognosis I was given, certainly passed beforeme – and much sooner than I had anticipated.

In spite of my diagnosis/prognosis, and themiscellaneous ups and downs that I and mostcancer patients endure, I’ve never given in tomy oncologist’s initial assessment. It was sounbelievable hearing such grim news, espe-cially considering that I was age 54 and a half,that it almost seemed like an out-of-bodyexperience, sort of like Scrooge in CharlesDickens “novella, “A Christmas Carol.” Surewe were listening attentively and asked ourshare of questions, but it didn’t seem real oreven about me, sort of. I mean at this junc-ture, I had no pain and no symptoms and nofamily history of cancer – and I was a life-longnon-smoker. Yet here I was, in the bulls eye ofa dreaded disease with no known cure receiv-ing a modest life expectancy/two percentchance of living beyond five years.

But eight years and five months later, here Isit, breathe and try to write some wrongsabout a life mostly unexpected, and one inwhich I haven’t sweated too many details norconcerned myself with the “nattering nabobsof negativism,” to quote former VicePresident, Spiro T. Agnew, specifically as itrelates to lung cancer outcomes. Which aredramatically improving.

New drug approvals and increased fundingfor lung cancer research has infused hope intolung cancer patient’s lives. Routines withwhich us lung cancer patients/survivors havebecome accustomed will be less routine andwill make our lives more fulfilling. It might notbe perfect, but it’s definitely a life worth liv-ing.

Week to WeakBusiness DirectoryTo Advertise Your Business, Call Karen at 703-778-9422

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ELECTRICAL ELECTRICAL

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IMPROVEMENTS IMPROVEMENTS

LANDSCAPING

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Good is not good, where

better is expected.

-Thomas Fuller

An expert is someone who knows some of the worst mis-

takes that can be made in his subject and how to avoid them.-Werner Heisenberg

Letter

From Page 7

Field, Nike # 7. Since many residents aretraveling in the summer months this shouldoccur in September, not during the summerrecess time.

Gail PéanGreat Falls

See the related story by Fallon Forbush on page3 of the Great Falls Connection or at

www.ConnectionNewspapers.com.

Submit civic/community announcements atConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar. Photos andartwork welcome. Deadline is Thursday at noon, atleast two weeks before event.

MEMBERS WANTEDGreat Falls Friends and Neighbors (GFFN)

invites women living in the Langley High SchoolDistrict or The Estates of Lowes Island to learnmore about the group. The purpose of GFFN isto establish and foster an atmosphere in whichnew and current residents can develop newfriendships and community contacts throughsocial, educational and cultural activities. Inaddition, the club provides service, support anddonations to philanthropic and civicorganizations in and around the Great Fallscommunity. Email [email protected] or visitwww.gffnva.org.

AUG. 2-30Fit for Life Classes. 11 a.m.-noon at the Bruen

Chapel United Methodist Church, 3035 CedarLane, Fairfax. Fairfax Fit for Life Classes aresponsored by the Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna to improve strength, balance andmobility for older adults. Call 703-281-0538 oremail [email protected].

THURSDAY/AUG. 3Support Group for Caregivers. 10-11:30 a.m.

at the UUCF Unitarian Universalist Congregationof Fairfax - Program Building, 2709 Hunter MillRoad, Oakton. This support group is designedfor caregivers of adult family members. Contactfacilitator Jack Tarr at 703-821-6838 [email protected].

THURSDAY/AUG. 10Fairfax Connector Bus Changes. 6-8 p.m. (7

p.m. presentation) at Stenwood ElementarySchool Cafeteria, 2620 Gallows Road, Vienna.Fairfax Connector proposes service adjustmentsfor implementation in September 2017 toimprove the customer experience throughincreased on-time performance, improvedservice reliability and reduced crowding. Inorder to serve the greatest number of riders aseffectively as possible, improvements targethigh-ridership corridors and partially addressthe elimination of Metrobus 2T. Routes in theproposal include: 171, 231, 232, 321, 322, 333,334, 335, 395, 462, 463, and 551. Visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector/news formore.

THURSDAY/AUG. 17Support Group for Caregivers. 10-11:30 a.m.

at the UUCF Unitarian Universalist Congregationof Fairfax - Program Building, 2709 Hunter MillRoad, Oakton. This support group is designedfor caregivers of adult family members. Contactfacilitator Jack Tarr at 703-821-6838 [email protected].

THROUGH AUG. 18Artist Application Deadline. Visual artists who

wish to participate in the 17th Annual RestonMulticultural Festival art exhibit “Art MirrorsCulture” should visitwww.restoncommunitycenter.com. The festivalwill be held Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017 at LakeAnne Plaza in Reston. Interested groups orindividuals should fill out the appropriateVendor Application Form, available atwww.restoncommunitycenter.com/mcf.

Bulletin


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